A Day at the Mall
by MyCurrentObsession
Summary: Takes place after end of 02. Mimi arranges for the group to have a day of fun at the mall before she goes back to New York. Of course, Taichi hates shopping, AND is still upset about Sora choosing Yamato over him. Maybe she can cheer him up? Mild swearing


AN- Okay, so this is the third in my unrelated oneshot series. It's Michi, which is basically my favorite pairing from Digimon EVER. This takes place a little after the end of 02, though it's pretending the epilogue never happened.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except this fic. Enjoy!

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Thirteen year-old Mimi Tachikawa took in the sight before her and smiled. All of her friends had gathered to spend the day… at the mall. It was her suggestion, obviously. Since she was only staying for about two weeks before heading back to New York, she'd managed to convince the group to go for it. Everyone was standing in the entrance smiling happily. She frowned as her eyes came upon the last person in the group, standing in back. That is, everyone except for one spiky chocolate haired teen sulking in the back by the name of Yagami Taichi.

Mimi knew that Taichi didn't like shopping, sure. Everyone knew that. But really, the whole point of the trip was really to get together and hang out, so couldn't Taichi at least _attempt_ to have fun? But then, she saw just what Taichi was glaring at and stopped feeling angry at him.

It was also common knowledge -or at least she thought so- that Taichi liked -or _had _liked- Sora, so it didn't surprise Mimi to see him staring unhappily at Yamato and her as they flirted. A while back, Sora, being her best friend since that first trip to the Digital World, had called her up and gushed -yes, you heard right, _gushed_, as in all romantic-like- about how she'd just asked out Yamato, and he'd said yes! She spent a long time talking about how happy she was and how she really, _really_ liked Yamato in a very Un-Sora way. After all, that kind of behavior was more like Mimi herself than Sora.

Mimi had been thrilled for her friend, of course. But still, she couldn't help but ask, 'What about Taichi?'. There'd been a long pause at that, but then Sora had very reluctantly began to tell Mimi _exactly _what happened, starting with the awkward meeting with him all the way to her asking Yamato out.

Mimi couldn't blame him for being upset, she supposed. The girl he really liked was with another guy. Still, Yamato cared just as much for Sora, so it wasn't as if Taichi could actually try and break them apart once they got together. He wasn't cruel -or stupid- enough to that.

The group saw her and she put the smile back on her face. She'd called for this little get-together, so there was no way she was letting them see her unhappy.

"Hey guys! Sorry I'm late, the train I took got delayed." Many people in the digi-destined showed signs of surprise at that. Sora smiled warmly at her, though disbelief still shone in her eyes.

"You took the subway? Really? Wow, Mimi, you really _have _changed." Said girl couldn't help but giggle as everyone nodded in agreement.

"Well, when you live in New York, you have to take a train _sometime. _The traffic there is _terrible_! I swear, once, I got caught in a traffic jam, and I was still in the same position on the road 45 minutes later! Eventually, I gave up on driving anywhere there. I learned to take the subway instead." Hikari -and many others- raised her eyebrows.

"You can't drive yet. You're only thirteen."

"I used a chauffer." Sora looked at her, unbelieving.

"You used a chauffer?" Mimi shrugged.

"I had to get around somehow, didn't I?" Her best friend smiled, shook her head in amusement, and stepped forward to give her a hug.

"We missed you." Mimi returned the hug.

"I missed all of you, too. I really do love New York, but I still miss all of you so much!" Moments later, the two girls stepped away from each other and Mimi felt it time to take charge. "Okay! So, I called for a group meeting at the mall. It's just a little reunion, considering we almost never get to be together as a group. I think that, since we're here and all, we should spend about an hour and a half _shopping_!" A few members of the group- Daisuke, Taichi, and Ken- immediately grumbled and protested, so she tried her best to placate them. "Oh, it's only for a little while, guys. Besides, it's not like we'd be going shopping as a giant group. We'll break into whatever littler pairs we want, then meet back at the food court when we're done! We can all eat lunch together, and after that… well, after that, I'm open to suggestions!" A few people still grumbled (actually, it was mostly just Taichi), but everyone accepted. The grouped walked into the mall. Taichi went to lean against the railing (they were on the upper level) and continue his sulking while the others just stood around.

Jyou looked at Mimi quizzically. "But what if some of us accidentally spend all our money shopping?" Mimi smiled at good old Jyou, ever the worrywart.

"Oh, don't worry about that! I'm willing to pay for people's lunches if they spend all their money. I've got plenty!" That said, she showed the group a giant handful of cash. Miyako's eyes- and pretty much everyone else's- widened.

"_Whoa_! Mimi, where'd you get it all?! I mean, I've heard about your family kinda being rich and all, but still…" Her smiled widened. If the group had been surprised before, wait until they heard this!

"Well, I knew this trip would be expensive, so I've been saving my allowance just for the occasion." Practically everyone's jaw dropped at that. Mimi giggled. They all looked kinda like fish, gaping at her like that.

Koushirou managed to overcome his surprise long enough to speak. "You, you've been… _saving _money?! It's amazing, truly unusual. It's an unnatural phenomenon!" She pouted and crossed her arms at that.

"Aw, come on, guys! Now you're just making me sound like some kind of shallow airhead! I'm better than that…" Sora smiled.

"I know, Mimi. We all know. We're just teasing you, really." The pout on Mimi's face vanished immediately.

"I know. Now come on, let's get going already!" Everyone agreed to her words once more. Still, they all stood there for a moment before someone decided to do something.

Grinning, Daisuke stepped up to Hikari. "Oi, Hikari-chan. Want to go check out the…" He trailed off, obviously trying to think of a place they'd _both_ like. "…Candy store or something?" The girl responded by smiling, but shaking her head.

"Sorry, Daisuke-kun, but I actually wanted to go looking for some clothes." Turning, Hikari addressed someone else. "You wanna come, Miyako?" The aforementioned girl smiled.

"Of course! Let's go!" The two started heading towards the nearest clothes shop, though Miyako turned back around to yell something. "Looks like you struck out again, Daisuke!" Said boy flinched before giving her a death glare. He turned to his best friend beside him.

"Oh, whatever! Come on Ken, let's check out the sports stores." Ken smiled and agreed before the two started walking off themselves in the opposite direction of Hikari and Miyako.

Takeru went closer to the center, looked at all the surrounding shops, and turned back around, a frown on his face.

"I for one don't know _what_ to shop for. It's not that I dislike shopping, it's just I never do it. I've got no idea what I should do." Iori smiled before walking up to join the blond.

"I agree. Perhaps we could just browse until we find something of interest." Takeru nodded his agreement, and another pair was gone.

Jyou muttered something about needing a new suit and left on his own, as did Koushirou, who informed them he was looking for an electronics store. That left Mimi, who was wondering what she was gonna do, Sora and Yamato, who seemed content to just _stand there _and flirt in the way only new couples can, and Taichi, who was still leaning against the railing, still sulking. Mimi painted a grin on her face before walking over to him.

"Taichi-san, would you like to go shopping with me?" He watched her, expression unchanging.

"Sorry, Mimi, but not really. I hate shopping enough as it is, so doing it with a shopaholic is _NOT _on my To Do list." She gave him a reproachful glare, a pout on her lips.

"Oh, quit your moping. Come on, Taichi, I arranged this trip to the mall in hopes of getting the whole group together before I left for New York to have a day of fun. If you're not having fun, it'll drag the whole group down! Not to mention, the whole point of the reunion would basically go to waste." His frowned darkened.

"I am not _moping_."

Mimi sighed. Now he was just being difficult. She had to get him to have fun and away from 'the happy couple', for _both _their sakes. His, for the obvious reasons. Her, because, as much as she like romance, the two of them were being too gushy, even for her. It was serious overkill.

"Yes, yes you are. Now, I am determined to have today go off without a hitch, so you better cheer up. In fact, I'm taking the choice out of your hands!" He raised an eyebrow before adjusting his position to a more comfortable one on the railing.

"Oh? And how do you plan to do that?"

Previously, she'd been frowning with her hands on her hips, but at his words, a sly smile appeared on her face and she grabbed one of his wrists and began pulling him along as she walked deeper into the mall.

"Like this! You're coming with me, Taichi, whether you like it or not!"

He gaped at her boldness for a moment before shouting back. "No! You can't force me to come along, Mimi! And you definitely can't just make me have fun, either! It's not that easy!" And yet, despite his protests, he was basically letting her do just that. His only sign of resistance was his shouting.

Mimi smiled, taking that as a sign that he'd basically agreed to go. Still, she felt the need to apologize for being so rude about it herself. Once they'd gotten a fair distance away from the two lovebirds, who -to Mimi's knowledge- were still right where she'd left them, she turned around.

"Look, I'm sorry, Taichi-san. I know it's wrong to force you to come along, but really all I want is for you to have fun on this outing. That's what I want for everyone. Besides, watching those two was doing nothing but upsetting you more." His eyes widened and she realized her mistake immediately.

Really she hadn't even meant for the second part about Yamato and Sora to even come out. The words had just come to her brain and slipped out of her mouth, unbidden, unwanted, and oh-so troublesome. Taichi sighed and looked away from her, a slightly sad look on his face. It was obvious: her words had created a tension. A _very thick _tension.

"Taichi-"

"Save it." His interruption startled her. He looked up at her. "It was just a stupid little crush anyway, right? After all, I'm only fourteen. Fourteen year-olds don't know what love really is. I'll get over this. I _will _get over her… eventually." The last word was a mere whisper, not meant to be heard. Regardless, Mimi managed to pick it up anyway, and it made her sad to know how depressed he really was about this. But more than that, his first words rang a bell in her head. They made her think of the past. More specifically, past _feelings_. It reminded her of a time three years back… when she'd been having the same feelings… about him.

Looking at him with compassion and understanding in her eyes, she found it hard to believe that her own 'stupid little crush' still hadn't quite disappeared after all these years. Even though she really wasn't all that sad, she suddenly felt like crying at that realization. And why? Because if she still liked him after all these years, odds were he'd still keep liking Sora as well. Both of them were destined to be screwed in love forever.

He apparently noticed her sudden distress, though, because he was now looking worriedly at her instead of feeling sorry for himself. "Uh, Mimi? You feeling alright?"

She stiffened at his words before blushing lightly, partly from embarrassment, and partly from her reawakened feelings. She immediately looked down at her feet to avoid eye contact, fearful that he'd somehow realize just what she was thinking. Of course, doing so presented _another _problem.

Looking down, she'd noticed something. It seemed that, during the time she'd spent dragging him away, her hand had slipped down from his wrist and into his own, where it was now still clasped tightly with his. It wasn't all that serious, really. It was just hand-holding. It wasn't like their fingers were _intertwined, _or anything. It was just a simple hand-in-hand. And yet… the simple contact and realization of it caused _every _moment of contact between them to burn its way into her brain. Oh, yeah, she had it _bad_.

She flinched, face burning up, before swiftly pulling her hand away- for some reason, it felt like it had suddenly lost all the warmth she'd been feeling previously. The action caused Taichi to look down and then raise an eyebrow in a manner that suggested the boy had only just realized they'd still been holding hands, himself. He tilted his head in an attempt to get a better look at her. She looked to the side, trying to look everywhere but at _him_. He frowned, even more concerned by the girl's odd behavior.

"Seriously, Mimi. What's wrong?"

Her head stayed down for a moment before she looked right up, a -completely fake- smile on her face. "Oh, nothing's wrong with me. Really Taichi-kun, I'm fine!" He blinked.

"Taichi… kun?" She blushed again, but managed to keep it cool. She swiftly whirled around so he couldn't see her face before starting walking again. As she couldn't very well ignore her mistake, she changed the subject.

"Uh… let's go check out that candy shop that Daisuke mentioned earlier!" She could feel his eyes boring into her from behind. He was obviously still curious, so she could only hope he'd choose to let her slip-up slide.

"…Okay…" She -quietly- let out a sigh of relief, before nonchalantly glancing behind her. Her eyes met Taichi's, as he was staring at her, still curious. She immediately whipped her head back to the front, feeling heat rising to her cheeks at just that simple accident.

They reached the candy shop moments later. The two immediately entered and went towards the areas that held their respective favorites. Mimi towards all things gummy, and Taichi towards anything with excessive amounts of caramel.

While picking through the gummies in search of her strawberry flavored favorite, Mimi couldn't help but sneak a few glances at her chocolate haired friend while he conducted his own search for his favorite candy snack. After finding and paying for some of her strawberry gummies, her glances became staring. After about a good minute of this, he looked her way and caught her in the act. She blushed lightly, but covered it up by smiling and walking towards him. She held up her bag of goodies.

"I got what I came for. How about you? Are we almost ready to leave?" Taichi smiled back before grabbing a bag of caramel squares, apparently just paid for.

"Yup. Where to next, Mimi?"

The aforementioned girl smiled wider before walking out of the store to take a look around. She scanned the nearby stores before frowning slightly.

"Hmm… Well, I don't see anything around that the two of us can agree on. I was _going _to go look for a new outfit, but that'd bore you. Do you have any suggestions, Taichi-k… san?" The girl had just _barely _managed to cover up what she'd _really _been about to call him, but he appeared not to have noticed. He was too busy pondering over where to go and what to do next.

"Well… I guess we could… go see what the others are up to…?" The boy had said it hesitantly, suggesting that he didn't really want to do that at all, but rather was just trying to come up with something good to do. Mimi knew this, and so shook her head at the idea.

"No, I'm not really in the mood to spend the next forty minutes walking around the mall just to see what the others are doing. Anything else you want to do?"

He thought it over for a minute before brightening. "I saw an ice cream shop on the bottom floor… We could go get ice cream!"

Mimi raised an eyebrow. "But Taichi, we haven't even had lunch yet. Shouldn't we do that before getting a treat? Besides, we already have candy we can eat…"

He stared at her, eyes pleading and a pout adorning his lips. "But… but I'm really hungry! I had to skip breakfast this morning in order to make it to our meeting on time, and I haven't had ice cream in a really long time because mom refuses to buy any! All because of her stupid diet… Come on, _please_?"

Mimi stared at him for a moment before turning away, face burning. Oh, god. He shouldn't be allowed to make a face like that, really. It made him too cute to even _attempt_ to resist.

"F-…fine. I- if you're really that hungry, then okay. We'll just… go ahead and get some ice cream," she all but stuttered. The pout on his face vanished immediately at her words. Grinning like a fool, he grabbed her wrist and started to pull her towards the ice cream store, which was located on the second floor of the other side of the mall.

"Then what're we waiting for?! Let's go!"

Her face heated up instantly at the contact, and she prayed that he wouldn't look back as they continued running towards the ice cream shop. She surveyed the shops as they passed by them, and gasped as a music store came into view.

Even from here, she could see Yamato's telltale blonde hair sticking out in the crowd of Japanese people, and Sora standing near him as he eyed the guitars.

As they passed by, Sora turned to look out and saw them. Being the smart person she is, she took one look at Mimi's face and grinned, already figuring out what was happening. Said girl's face's blush intensified, as she _knew_ that Sora knew. Taichi, on the other hand, didn't even _notice_ Sora and Yamato as he ran past the store, red-faced girl in tow.

When they finally reached the ice cream shop, Taichi let go of her and she stopped to catch her breath- also using it as an opportunity to look down so he wouldn't see her face. Man, not only was he energetic, he was _fast._ After regaining some air to her lungs, she looked up at him. He was standing in line behind like two people giddily bouncing on his feet. She giggled. He could be such a child. He glanced backwards impatiently.

"Come on, Mimi! Get in line, or you'll miss out." She rolled her eyes before going to stand behind him.

The little kid behind her frowned. "Hey! You cut in line!"

She tried to placate him quickly before he caused a scene. "No, I didn't really. See…"

As she searched for the right words to explain, the kid's small frown turned into an all-out scowl. "See what? There's nothing _to _see! But I know: You. Cut!"

"No! I'm serious, kid. I didn't cut, I… uh…"

The source of all her troubles finally decided to help out. "Don't worry, kid. She didn't cut, she's with me." Mimi froze. She knew he meant it platonically, but still… Damn her crush. Damn it to hell.

His words _did_, however, have the desired effect on the kid. His scowl lessened. The little boy crossed his arms and looked away. "Alright, whatever…"

Taichi went to smile at her, something probably along the lines of 'I saved you from the wrath of a ten year-old. Be thankful.' about to be said. Whatever he was about to say died on his lips as he looked at her, though.

In his opinion, she'd been acting weird all day. Well, maybe not _all _day, but ever since…ever since he'd said those things about Sora. Hard to believe it was only about an hour ago, really. He'd been letting her odd behavior slide, since he couldn't figure out the cause of it. But he had his suspicions, and they were growing more and more accurate. From her little 'Taichi-_kun_' quip to all the times he'd caught her blushing, it all led up to one thing.He was beginning to think… that Mimi… had a _crush _on him.

It was completely plausible, what with her recent behavior. Still, he didn't want to believe it, because it would just cause more trouble in his life. Even if she _did _have feelings for him, he didn't return them. At least, he didn't _think_ he felt that way about her.

Sure, she was smart, pretty, funny, sweet, a bit naïve at times, but that was forgivable. But no… with -dyed- pink shoulder length hair, caramel colored eyes, curves that she _really _shouldn't have for her age, and an overall great attitude and perspective, she was beautiful, inside _and_ out.

He stared at the girl, currently red-faced and blushing like mad. Even now, she was beautiful. Then, he blinked and looked away, blushing lightly himself. But still, he _didn't _return the feelings he was now almost sure she had for him. Nope, no way. Thank you and good night.

Mimi stared, still blushing. Taichi had just been… _looking _at her for a few minutes, and it unnerved her. Not to mention, she could have sworn she saw a… _blush _on his face as he looked away. There was, once again, a tension. This one was different from the last, but somehow, all the more unbearable. And so, she searched for something, _anything_, to try and make things normal again. She glanced in front of Taichi and was happy to see something he'd yet to notice.

"Taichi-kun, it's your turn."

He stiffened slightly at her words, before smiling and ordering a chocolate ice cream cone. He glanced behind himself to see Mimi staring nervously. "Uh… I'll be at that table over there, okay?"

She nodded. "Right. I'll, uh, be over there in a minute."

She stepped up to the counter and the old guy behind it smiled. "Ah, young love. What I wouldn't give to go back to that time. So what can I do for you, little miss?"

Mimi blushed furiously at the earlier part of his statement. "We're not like that! Really, we're not…" She shook her head before plastering on a smile. "…What flavors do you have, sir?"

"This shop has vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. On a cone or in a bowl. Take your pick."

She brightened considerably. "That's easy. I'll take one scoop of strawberry, in a bowl, please."

The old guy gave her a toothy smile before dishing up her order. She paid and began to walk off. "Have fun with your boyfriend, little miss!"

She stiffened, face red for what had to be the _thousandth _time that day. "He's not my boyfriend!" she all but shouted. She walked over to the table of Taichi's choice, sat down, and began digging into her ice cream with a vengeance. Said boy watched her for a moment in confusion before shrugging and deciding he _didn't _want to know. Instead, he, too, focused on his frozen treat.

A long silence followed, but at least this one didn't have the same tension the one before had. After all, they had a reason to be silent this time: they were eating. Still, the complete silence outside of Taichi's cone crunching and Mimi's spoon clanging against the bowl was a bit unnerving.

Finally, Taichi snapped. Silence never had been his strong point. "So… anything interesting happen to you recently?"

She paused in her eating to glance up at him -he had just finished his cone and was now leaning backwards in his chair, looking at her casually- before going back to her ice cream. "…Not really."

"Really? Nothing? No… crushes, or anything?"

This time, she flat-out froze, her spoon still in her mouth. After what seemed an eternity, she slowly took the spoon and put it in the practically empty ice cream bowl before gulping. "Wha-what would make you t-think that, exactly…?"

He shrugged. He knew she was probably panicking right about now, but Taichi wasn't as calm as let on, himself. How exactly do you tell a girl you know she likes you, and you feel the same? He blinked. Wait… did he just say 'he felt the same'?! He meant he _doesn't _feel the same. Yeah…

"Oh, I don't know, you've been acting weird for a while now, Mimi. I'm not _that _oblivious."

She was blushing profusely. "W-well, you've obviously been picking up signals I wasn't aware I was sending out and interpreting them badly, because I do _not _have a crush on someone." Her embarrassment vanished, replaced by sadness. "Besides… even if I _did_… nothing would happen. I don't plan on doing anything about it."

He felt relieved by the fact that she didn't plan on pursuing her little crush, and yet oddly, he also felt disappointed. "…Why aren't you going to do something?"

Mimi bit her lip, thinking, while looking between Taichi and the table, which had suddenly become very interesting to look at. "I… because it's hopeless. The guy I… _might _like really likes someone else. If I tried anything, I'd just end up brokenhearted. I'd rather not have to deal with that."

Taichi frowned. "Now that doesn't sound like the Mimi I know at all. She'd never give up that easily. What happened to that girl who used to do anything in order to get what she wanted?" Um… why was he encouraging her, exactly? "…Who is this guy you like, anyway?"

She shook her head sadly at him. "You make it sound so easy, Taichi-kun. But it's not, really. How long exactly… have you liked Sora?"

He blushed. "W-what's that got to do with this?"

"Just tell me."

"…About a year now, I guess. But really, why are you asking?"

She stood up and turned to look at the people on the floor below, leaning onto the railing. "Because… the guy I've liked… I've liked him for three years."

He froze. Three years?! Holy… "You-you've liked me for three years?!"

She stiffened and he immediately regretted his words. Damn, he'd accidentally blurted out that he knew she liked him. He was an _idiot_. And apparently, more oblivious than he thought. How had he missed the fact that she'd liked him for _three years_?! She turned around to face him, teary-eyed and blushing. It reminded him of that time when she'd sung for the Geckomon. She'd looked a lot like that before singing, all depressed and ashamed of how she'd been acting. "Yes, Taichi. I've liked _you _for three years. I… figured you'd realized what was going on, since it's not like you to delve into other people's relationship problems, unless you're a part of it."

He walked up to her, unreadable emotions swirling in his chocolate eyes. "Why… didn't you just tell me sooner, then? If you've liked me that long, why didn't you do anything? You had a chance, you know."

She sniffled. "I know. But I'm… not like all the rest of you, Taichi. I'm not brave and courageous. I hate fighting, and I value friendship. I was to scared to tell you because… I thought it might ruin our friendship."

He smiled at her softly. "I don't… really know _how _I feel about you. I've always just felt… that we were friends, and not even very close ones, really. But when I realized you liked me… oh, I don't know, something changed. This… this is too sudden, and I just don't know _what _to think!"

She wiped away a few stray tears before giving him a bittersweet smile and turning towards the railing once more, unable to face him. "If you want… I could go spend the rest of the day with someone else, and we could never mention this again. I… wouldn't mind."

He scratched his head and went to stand beside her. "But that's… not really settling things, is it?"

She turned her head to smile at him. "It's not settling things _at all_."

He locked eyes with her and shook his head. "Then no. I want things to be settled, so we can either be friends again, or… something else."

She turned to face him completely, and he did the same. "It's all really a question of what you feel for me, then, right? If you're unsure, then… we could always…" She trailed of, blushing madly.

He blushed too, once he realized what she was implying. "…Is that really the _only way _you can think of?" She nodded stiffly. "Tch! Great… You sure you're not just making up an excuse so you can… you know?"

She scowled and slapped his arm lightly. "Taichi! I'm not that kind of girl…"

He rolled his eyes. "I know, I know. I was just trying to lighten the mood, jeez…" That said, he slowly -_very _slowly, _painstakingly _slowly- began to lean forward. Mimi's blush intensified as she closed her eyes and waited- and waited, and _waited_. She finally peeked one eye open to see the boy hovering inches from her face, hesitant and _blushing_. "Um… I'd rather not do this all by myself…" She giggled before leaning up and closing the small gap between them, eyes fluttering shut once more. Even now, he was adorable.

It was just a simple kiss, nothing overly special about it. It wasn't like their was _tongue _action, or anything- thank god, too. Taichi isn't sure he'd be able to handle _that_. It was really just the simple press of lips to another set of lips, and yet it caused the amazing feeling to wash over him. He felt all warm, inside and out. The warmth was incredibly pleasing, too. This -_simple yet completely __**amazing**_-kiss was making him feel so… _happy_. He really didn't want it to end. Oh, yeah, he _definitely _returned her feelings.

Unfortunately, as they had to breath, they pulled away moments later, with Taichi falling onto the floor in shock. Mimi giggled at his stunned face. "So… did you feel anything?"

He stared at the floor in shock before looking up and nodding. "Oh yeah, I felt a _lot_."

She held out a hand to help him up. "Does that mean…?"

He grinned before taking her hand and letting her pull him up. "Yeah, it definitely _means_. I think this may just work out, Mimi."

She giggled happily again. "That's great. I really like you, Taichi." Then, she stiffened. "Wait, what time is it?!"

He squinted and looked at the time on her watch. "Err, about 12:45. Why?"

She gasped. "Oh no! we're gonna be late for the group lunch! Come on, Taichi, we have to hurry!"

He nodded. "Right! Let's go."

The two took off running towards the food court, hands clasped and fingers _intertwined_.

When they reached their destination, huffing and puffing, Sora smiled.

"Hey guys, you're late. Have fun?"

The two kids looked at each other, grinning, before answering simultaneously.

"You bet!"

"Totally!"

Sora smiled and stepped forward to hug her best friend. "I'm glad to hear that." She lowered her voice so only Mimi could hear. "I'll admit, I was worried."

Mimi smiled softly at her friend. "Don't worry. Everything is just _perfect_." She stepped out of the hug and took Taichi's hand again. "Come on, let's get some food." He nodded.

And thus, the happy couple went off in search of food for the both of them, deciding to just enjoy the day and worry about everything else later. The fact that she would be heading back to New York soon, and he'd still be here, in Japan, didn't matter.

They were happy together, and _that'_s what mattered.

* * *

AN-UGH! This sucked, I know it did. I mean, at first, I liked it. The beginning was good. But it all went downhill once Mimi realized that she still liked him, and just went right off a cliff when they were talking about it. So either review and tell me how you liked it and I'm wrong, it didn't suck, or tell me the truth, that it sucked. I don't care, 'cause I know it really _did _suck, at least in comparison with some of my other fics. I blame it on the fact that I didn't use thoughts like I normally do. This is the _first fic EVER _of mine not to have a character with italicized thoughts, and so it was doomed from the start. God, I've ranted quite a bit today. Anyway, review please!


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